Brian Britigan Consumers affected by Equifaxs huge data breach in 2017 may need to re-establish protections on their credit report if they locked their files as part of the companys free credit-monitoring offer People who accepted Equifaxs offer after the breach have been notified that the free service TrustedID Premier will expire at the end of January If subscribers locked their Equifax credit files using the service to prevent the opening of fraudulent accounts the locks will automatically lift when TrustedID expires according to Equifax The locks will also end if before Jan 31 the consumer enrolls in a similar service that breach victims are being offered as an alternative The upshot Consumers who want to keep the lock on their Equifax credit files have to use a different product like the companys free lock alert service the company suggests Perplexed Youre not alone Several people contacted The New York Times about the change Notices emailed to Equifax subscribers do explain the lock issue if readers click through to a question-and-answer page But some subscribers and consumer advocates worry that people may not absorb the details and remain unaware that they have to relock their Equifax credit report Credit locks are marketed by credit bureaus as a convenient way to prevent lenders and others from obtaining your credit report without your knowledge Theres an opportunity for consumers to be confused said Paul Stephens director of policy and advocacy with Privacy Rights Clearinghouse a nonprofit consumer advocacy group If consumers dont relock their files and if they havent used another option known as a security freeze theyre still going to be very vulnerable he said Christina Tetreault a staff attorney at Consumers Union who specializes in financial services said the situation illustrated why the best way to guard against account fraud is to place a security freeze not a lock on your files at all three credit bureaus Federal law now requires credit bureaus to offer security freezes free of charge and theyre much simpler to set up than in the past Ms Tetreault said A freeze accomplishes the same thing as a lock she said but with a freeze your rights are defined by law With credit locks she said the bureaus set the rules With a freeze she said the power belongs to the consumer Equifax initially told at least some subscribers that it would extend free credit monitoring through TrustedID Premier according to emails shared with The Times But later it switched to an offer of a second year through the credit bureau Experian a competitor Some subscribers may already have switched but the deadline to enroll for the free extra year is Jan 31 according to a notice Equifax sent to subscribers Experian normally charges a monthly fee for its service called IDnotify An Equifax spokeswoman Nancy Bistritz-Balkan said Equifax would continue to offer credit monitoring tools to consumers but had a strategic relationship with Experian to provide a year of free credit monitoring to breach victims through IDnotify Its unclear how many people may be affected by the lock issue Ms Bistritz-Balkan declined to say how many consumers had enrolled in free credit monitoring after the breach which compromised the personal information including Social Security numbers birth dates and other sensitive details of more than 145 million people Edward Steen a retired patent lawyer in New York said he had subscribed to the free credit monitoring after the Equifax breach and had started to fill out an online form to get the extra free year from Experian But since he and his wife had each placed security freezes on their credit files he decided he didnt need it Whats the point he asked Credit monitoring services notify subscribers of activity in their credit files which are maintained by the three big credit bureaus the third is TransUnion as a way to flag possible fraud or identity theft The services may also offer a package of other related features Mr Stephens said he was puzzled by Equifaxs move to offer consumers credit monitoring from a competitor Still he said he saw no harm in using free credit monitoring as long as it covered all three bureaus and consumers realized that it was a reactive service that notified them of activity in their credit file after it occurred rather than preventing it Here are some questions and answers about credit protection What if I subscribed to TrustedID Premier but have a security freeze on my Equifax credit file rather than a lock The expiration of credit monitoring from TrustedID Premier wont affect credit freezes just locks If your Equifax credit report is frozen and not locked Equifax told subscribers the security freeze will stay in place How do I establish a credit freeze To freeze your credit files visit the website of each credit bureau Equifax Experian and TransUnion and follow the instructions to register and apply the freeze Youll also get instructions on how to thaw the freeze if you want to apply for a loan or a credit card details vary by bureau What other steps can I take to protect myself from identity fraud A good practice is to check your credit file periodically for any suspicious activity You are entitled to a free copy each year from the three credit bureaus at wwwannualcreditreportcom